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Intracortical origin of visual maps

Nature Neuroscience volume 4, pages 431–436 (2001)Cite this article

Abstract

Previous experiments indicate that the shape of maps of preferred orientation in the primary visual cortex does not depend on visual experience. We propose a network model that demonstrates that the orientation and direction selectivity of individual units and the structure of the corresponding angle maps could emerge from local recurrent connections. Our model reproduces the structure of preferred orientation and direction maps, and explains the origin of their interrelationship. The model also provides an explanation for the correlation between position shifts of receptive fields and changes of preferred orientations of single neurons across the surface of the cortex.

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Figure 1: Connection strengths and activity states.
Figure 2: Formation of PO maps.
Figure 3: Formation of PD maps. Direction preference of the cortical columns shown in Fig. 2, obtained in the same computer simulation.
Figure 4: Geometry of receptive fields.
Figure 5: Analysis of the activity dynamics.

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Acknowledgements

We thank S. Hoshtein, A. Shmuel, S. Loewel, W. Singer and F. Wolf for comments on an earlier draft of the manuscript. This work was supported by grants from Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Office of Naval Research, Minerva Foundation and the Hanse Wissenschaftskolleg.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Bremen, Kufsteiner Str., Bremen, D-28334, Germany

    U. A. Ernst & K. R. Pawelzik

  2. School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, 69978, Israel

    C. Sahar-Pikielny

  3. Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel

    C. Sahar-Pikielny & M. V. Tsodyks

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  1. U. A. Ernst
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  3. C. Sahar-Pikielny
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  4. M. V. Tsodyks
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Correspondence to M. V. Tsodyks.

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Ernst, U., Pawelzik, K., Sahar-Pikielny, C. et al. Intracortical origin of visual maps. Nat Neurosci 4, 431–436 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/86089

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